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7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up — Review & Giveaway

rosihollinbeck

Thought for the Day:

“Inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.”
~ Brenda Ueland ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

I love historical fiction and am working on a manuscript that is historical fiction. HERE Writer’s Digest has a good article by Irene Goodman with 16 Things All Historical Fiction Writers Need to Know.

I love words. What writer doesn’t? So when I see a post that introduces me to a new word, I am all over it. HERE you will find a post from Kathy Steinemann that is just fun for writers and other wordaholics.

Louise Harnby always has something useful on her blog. HERE are 6 Ways to Improve Your Novel Right Now.

I talked to one of our exchange students (from over 20 years ago!) over the weekend. Sonni and her family live in Hamburg, Germany. They are having their third wave of Covid, most of which is coming the from U.K. variant, and things are pretty much locked down again. The European Union has been purchasing vaccines, but hasn’t allowed the individual countries to purchase on their own, so as to prevent the smaller and poorer countries from being shut out. But this means there isn’t enough vaccine for a fast roll out. That said, this should be a cautionary tale for us all. We need to keep on being careful and wearing our masks. The mutations can be a real problem. We are really fortunate here with the great vaccine roll out Biden’s administration is running. I feel very safe and hear from friends and relatives every week that more and more of them are getting their vaccines, but I still wear my mask and wash my hands a lot. I think we all have to for a long time.

I don’t read a lot of graphic novels. They just aren’t my cup of tea, but there are some terrific ones out there. Raina Telgemeier’s books come to mind. A couple months ago, the middle-grade novels were slim pickings on the available review list for the San Francisco Book Review, so I chose a graphic novel by Jimmy Gownley called 7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up. It has a lot going for it, but, to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t crazy about it. I read some other reviews of it, and a lot of people liked it, so maybe it’s just me. Here is the review I wrote for SFBR.

Graphic novels have become quite popular with the middle-grade set. Let’s face it, they are more like long comic books, in many cases, than anything else. The artwork in this one is bright and very busy, often not laid out in typical panels, but in a wide variety of shapes, some overlaying other spaces, giving the idea of urgency. Some of the type is extremely small or in light colors on dark backgrounds, making parts very hard to read. The story is not unusual for young people’s books — the kids must resist the evil adults and make things right in this topsy-turvy world of middle school (although a lot of this seems more appropriate for high schoolers than middle schoolers). The kids in the story are clever and smart, able to fool and trick the teachers and administrators, the evil and mean-spirited adults who seem to have no job other than to make the kids’ lives a long, terrible misery. Some young readers will enjoy this kind of story and most will certainly like the fun artwork, so this may be just the ticket for reluctant readers.

Jimmy Gownley

I have a gently-read hardback for one of you. All you need do is be a follower or subscriber (it’s free!), have a U.S. address, and leave a comment below. If you would like extra chances, please share the link to this post on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media outlet and let me know you have done that. And don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at the Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.

Published by rosihollinbeck

24 thoughts on “7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up — Review & Giveaway”

  1. Graphic novels aren’t my thing, either. I just can’t get into them. And, from your review, it seems the author is depending on an overworn trope. I think the “evil adult” thing is getting old. But you may be right. This book may be just the thing for a reluctant reader.

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  2. I get my second vaccine on Saturday and can’t wait. But I agree with you that we still have to be very careful for awhile. I’m reading my first graphic novel now–Measuring Up. Thanks for being honest in your review. I’m going to pass on the giveaway. I still need to read the last one I read from you.

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  4. I have been reading more and more graphic novels this past year, including all of Raina Telgemeier’s books. This one is new to me. I think my favorite graphic novels right now are New Kid and Class Act. I would love to read and review this book too. I shared on Facebook, Twitter, and tumblr. Thank you for sharing with us!

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  5. Hi Rosi. I’ll pass on the give away, too. I’m not too fond of graphic novels. Thanks for the links.I liked that ‘new’ word! I think the link about improving your novel talked about words you should try and avoid. Most of those words and phrases I’ve heard about before. But I found another word you should try to avoid while proofreading my manuscript a few days ago — SOME. It is a very vague word and I was able to replace almost all of them with much better, more specific words :o)

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  6. I’m not fond of graphic novels either and get bored reading them — it must be a generational thing for me. But, reluctant readers seem to love them too, so if it gets a kid reading, I’m all for them! Cece Bell writes good with graphic novels. I do enjoy wordless picture books that challenge a child’s imagination. And a few graphic books for young readers, because the illustrations are larger. Thanks for sharing!

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  7. I’m always on the lookout for good graphic novels, not for myself but for the many kids who adore them. This one certainly has a unique premise.
    The links this week were stellar! I am also writing historical fiction and the tips helped immensely. Six ways to improve your novel was pure gold.
    Thanks for featuring this post on MMGM.

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  8. I don’t tend to read many graphic novels, but I’ve read a few that were quite good, like El Deafo. I’m particularly drawn in by this fabulous title!
    I liked your word link–very fun!

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  10. This sounds like a fun story! I’m always on the lookout for good graphic novels—I’ve devoured a ton of them (they are convenient for when you don’t have much reading time), so there’s very few left for me to read! I definitely understand how the layouts can be bizarre at times and make the book frustrating to read, but I’ve found that some of them keep that weirdness to a minimum. I love the second link you shared—new words AND fun phrases (my favorite is “Finders keepers, losers litigants”)! The meme and quote are great as well! I’ll pass on the giveaway, but thanks for the great post!

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  11. Like you and others here, I’m not crazy about graphic novels. So, I’ll pass on the drawing and let someone who really wants it win. However, I love your blog, so I’ll be sharing on Twitter and Facebook.

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  12. My students love graphic novels and I love anything that gets them reading and devouring books. Personally, I have tried a whole bunch of them and they aren’t my favorite. Instead of drawing me into the story- the format draws me out of the story. But- I love that they are the right fit for so many people. Thanks for the giveaway. I won’t enter this time- since it seems like this book is geared toward older kids than my K-5 school. 🙂

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